Cheap Apartment Buys

Solid proof that one should never underestimate a dollar store. 

Keep in mind my blog on group purchases. 

(The Great Grocery Debate)

I love the gigantic container of napkins for $1!!!

Does everyone need their own container for sugar? Salt? Brown Sugar?

And, at least in my head, I plan on cooking actual meals. Spaghetti, pork chops, etc. Storing these Group Meals would be easier if we all paid for foil and containers together. Just another thing to ponder.

Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Ross are our friends! lol 

Chore-ture!!!

How funny is this picture? 

So how do we set up chores? I know I know! It sucks! But they have to be done. I found that the "Wheel of Choreture" is a really rather clever way of figuring out chores on a fair method. However, if I were to get stuck with cleaning the kitchen three times in a row, I totally wouldn't be in the best of moods. 

This is the method of a  weekly chores list. 

I like this way better. At least we can change it along with our schedules. I don't mind buying a white-board to put up that week's new list. And possibly the wheel of choreture will help pick who does what when. Or otherwise just go by who did what when. 

Which ever method you pick, make sure to just do it! I've seen videos of room tours that include a chore list and the person doing the video calling one of her room mates a dumb *ss. Really? Please be considerate. You might be cleaning the bathrooms now, but everyone will get their turn. Time to grow up :P 

Have a Magical Day! 

Bathroom Decor

\

ROSS

Ross has these nifty little bathroom sets. This is not a picture of one. But I'll go by and take a picture to replace this one. But they're nifty little packages with: a bath mat, a curtain, curtain hooks, toilet seat cover and sometimes even hand towels. They only run about $15-20. I'm thinking about buying one to bring down with me. A lot of them can either be super cute or really rather fancy shmancy. Just an FYI to get those bathrooms looking a bit more homey. I'm just hoping that we all don't show up with a shower curtain!!

The Great Grocery Debate

To pool money or to not pool money. That is the question.

Here are the options:
1. Everyone puts in $10-25 (depending on how many people live in the apartment) for basic groceries. Milk, bread, butter, etc. And then everyone gets a space in the tall cabinets near the refrigerator for their own goodies.

2. Everyone buys their own food and then attempt to store all of that food in either smaller individual refrigerators or in the main one.

In my opinion, option one sounds way better. And I understand the worry about putting in money and not getting any milk to drink that week. Which I understand is plausible when there are many more roommates. So maybe pool enough to buy two gallons. It's going to take a lot of trial and error to find out how much of the basic necessities should be purchased. Don't forget toilet paper! Really, does everyone need to have their own container of toilet paper?

I personally am going to be doing my shopping at the Costco and Trader Joes near by.

What are your opinions on this situation? Where would you do most of your grocery shopping?  

Purple Folder!

This lovely purple folder was in the mailbox for me last Sunday :D

I don't necessarily want to go over what was in it. It's pretty much all the information you can find on the website but in paper form. You do find out your exact hourly pay and get your ID/Password to play the exciting Time Keeper game for Disney Interns. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Stay patient!

$$$ How much will I make? $$$

How Much Will I Make?

Well check it out HERE

As a Quick Service Food And Beverage Hostess I will make somewhere between $9.46 and $10.21 an hour.
This is your starting pay. Work hard and maybe it will go up!

Always remember to subtract for taxes. I generally subtract 80 cents.

Have a Magical Day! 

Disney Health Insurance?

Their Site:
Aetna

Get a quote here:
Aetna Health Insurance Quotes 

It's really hard to find information on the "student discount" on insurance provided by Disney through paycheck deductions.

Basic Medical Billing Information

In the link above you can see that they offer insurance "as low as $69 a month." What this covers, I don't know. Aetna seems to have a history of providing varied prices for different purposes.

"Aetna, by contrast, provides members with actual contracted rates for about 35 non-emergency procedures, including CT scans, MRIs, biopsies and colonoscopies" - www.chron.com 

Please remember that if your parents have insurance, then you do until you are 26. Also remember that some insurance packages require 12 units of a college student dependent to get Full coverage. Otherwise you may lose dental and visual.

Hope this helps! 

Welcome Letter!

Arrived just about an hour ago April 6th. Now where is that purple folder?!

In this letter you will find a list of future emails you will see in your inbox. Although I know you will be checking your inbox frantically every day, do not miss one! These hold important information and tasks to complete during your employment process. Enjoy!

<3

Pets :(

Meet the Most Spoiled Dog in the World

                                                                    Penelope
It has to be done! As sad as it is, I have to leave my sweet puppy behind. This girl is practically my daughter. If I ever have a little girl, I want her to have this dog's personality. She is affectionate and will lay in your arms half asleep with a paw on your hand. I'm going to miss her loads :(

I know some other Disney Interns (DI) have considered getting apartments outside of the program just to bring these pets. Well I say to those DI's that I envy you. My girl would bark and cry when I got home. She would want to sleep in everyone's bed. And she would definitely want me home for most of the internship.

Know that I empathize to all the DI's out there leaving a best friend behind.
<3

Car or no Car?

Ahhh!

I've been back and forth with this decision for what seems like forever. My car is a 2001 Oldsmobile with about 168,000 miles on it. It runs well and is in pretty good shape. I'd probably want to put some money into the "Fonz" before I go.

I'm going to be doing the program (6 minutes from the apartments), going to school (15 minutes from the apartments), and regularly going out/buying groceries (5 minutes from the apartments). Nothing is ridiculously far away. I can always take a bus with the free bus-pass that Disney provides. But scheduling around buses is an absolute nightmare.

Disney will also pay you to do anything but drive yourself around alone. Bike, pogostick, walk, whatever! And don't forget carpool. I don't mind carpooling whatsoever. And I plan on getting a nice cruiser bike eventually. But do I dare leave "Fonzy" at home?!

This is the dilemma:
Convenience of a car. BUT if something happens to my car because of it's age/mileage/carstuff then it would be a relic in some parking lot. And gas might get to be a paycheck parasite as well.

What do you guys think?   

The Interview

(Btw-mass posts just work better sometimes lol)

So if you've read the blogs up to this point, then you know that I had my little mishap. BUT got the interviewer I had last time. She was great. Super happy and helpful. My dearest apologies and hopes to those of you who end up getting the rare grumpy interviewer.

During the interview you can expect to be asked:

-What are your top three choices for a job at Disneyland?
-Why do you want to work at Disneyland?
-Do you have any concerns about the living conditions?

My answers:

-Food/Beverage, Merchandise, and Attractions.
-Because of the name. Dropping Disney's name and my acceptance email landed me my first job!
-(This had her in stitches) "I don't care about leaving home. I don't care about the rent. All I care about is that I don't get a bunk bed!!!" She replied that she had never had anyone be only concerned about a bunk bed, but sympathized. So in my notes it says that I do not want a bunk bed and if placed with one, I can ask for them to replace it with a real bed or find me a room where I wouldn't have to have one. Awesome right?!

Be real. Be friendly. Be that slightly demented Disney Happy.

Be Yourself.

<3 Good luck! 

COUNTDOWN

Every single chain has the date on it. From March 23 to August 13th. The last set hanging off of that incense diffuser is a Mickey :D On his head I wrote "August," on one ear I wrote "14th," and on the other I wrote "10:00 AM."  <3 

Application Process

February 17: Application submitted

     I submitted my application online after viewing the E-Presentation. It's a bit long so make sure to set an afternoon aside. You want to be completely present with the presentation, the application and the online interview. I got my ID# and the phone number to call for my interview.

                 ProTip: WRITE THESE DOWN AND NEVER LOSE THEM. TATTOO THEM TO YOUR FOREARM IF YOU HAVE TO. BUT DO NOT LOSE THEM!!!

February 22: A fail interview

     So I counted the hours down. I was so excited for this day. I hadn't gotten much sleep due to classes and work but I couldn't be any more excited. I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw up. I got home and sat at my desk with the telephone. Then.... Our phone line went out. I have a deep seeded hate for Charter now. The phone kept hanging up on my interviewer! And only in the last breath did I get the date and time of a new interview date.

February 24: An awesome interview

     The best interview I could have ever asked more. Everything happens for a reason. It was the same interviewer that I had had the first time I applied! We basically gabbed like old friends. It was great! This was pretty much the best day ever.

March 13: A forgotten email

      My sister got married on March 14th. (I realized and notified her that this is Pi Day after we had gotten home. lol) This was the day before. I had asked my boyfriend to check my email this day because internet costs money in a hotel. Jerks. Well he forgot.

March 14: A found email

     I called my boyfriend after a full day of activities. My sisters, cousin and I laid in the hotel beds watching Chicago and I let them talk with him. It was really cute. ^.^ I mentioned that he hadn't told me what I got in my email. He apologized and like the goose he is, went straight to his computer to check even late at night. He told me that I had gotten an email from Disney saying something about needing to call. He paraphrased. (Btw, just read emails to me word for word x] Pet peeve.) Turns out that if he hadn't had forgotten to check my email the day before, I would have missed this email which notified me that I had until 5pm on the 15th to call them or I would be considered to have lost interest!!! Told you everything happens for a reason.

March 15: Accepted!

    Needless to say I called and called all the way home. I left message after message notifying the woman who had contacted me that I was on a train and might lose signal and that calling in the afternoon would be best. I was just talking with my mom about all of the coincidences over this whole process when...SHE CALLED! I was told that I was accepted as Quick Service Food and Beverage. :) Very good day.


So that was my experience with being accepted. I paid the down payment and have been anxious ever since!

Why Disney?

Fast food, department stores, toy stores, etc.

When you're a college student, job choices can be pretty slim. I found out about the program through a high school friend. She's adorable and obsessed with Disney. But I just knew that she was going somewhere to work that had something to do with Disney. I found out more about the program via another friend who was in the program. He got me psyched about anything and everything that had to do with the program.

Now it doesn't hurt that my boyfriend lives in southern California and I live in northern California, and this little move would be very wonderful. But with our relationship, it's more of a very exciting perk than something we absolutely need. Don't get me wrong, we're terribly excited about it. But we'd certainly survive however long it took for the two of us to be near each other. :)

So I chose Disney because it was in a place that had more than enough appeal. A good job, Disneyland, my boyfriend, USC, and did I mention DISNEYLAND?! Disney has always been a part of my life. But in my personal case, it was my life that found Disney. 

Before Disney

-Just some background-

I actually reapplied this year.

Yep. I applied last year. And although I was accepted, I didn't know about the $800+ upfront payment until I was accepted. I think I was accepted for Merchandise if I remember right. I kinda hope I wasn't, because that would be just cruel. I'd love to be merchandise. Anyway! I reapplied this year knowing I had the money. And gladly followed through with the rest of the application process.